Court Asked to Disqualify Accord Party Candidates Ahead of 2027 Elections

A member of the Accord Party, Adebukola Ajaja, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the disqualification of all candidates presented by the party for the 2027 general elections over an alleged breach of electoral regulations.

Ajaja filed the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2524/2026, on October 21, 2026, through her lawyer, Edmund Biriomoni.

According to court documents obtained by a correspondent on Friday, the applicant alleged that her responsibilities as the party’s National Secretary were usurped by its National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, and National Organising Secretary, ThankGod Kenechukwu, during the submission of the party’s candidates’ lists to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The suit lists INEC as the first respondent, Accord Party as the second respondent, Mgbudem as the third respondent and Kenechukwu as the fourth respondent.

The allegations have not been established by the court, and the suit seeks judicial determination of the dispute over the submission of the party’s candidates’ documents.

Accord Party Leadership Dispute Centres on Candidate Submissions

At the centre of the case is whether the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary were required to jointly sign and submit the relevant documents to INEC.

Ajaja argued that provisions of the Accord Party Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2026 determine the officials authorised to submit the documents.

In her application, she asked the court to declare that the party constitution is binding on all members and organs of the party, relying on Article 2 of the constitution.

She also sought a declaration that the National Chairman and National Secretary are the officials empowered to jointly sign and submit the relevant correspondence and candidate nomination forms to INEC.

The documents identified in the suit include letters titled “Submission of Accord’s Party Candidates EC9 Series Forms for 2027 General Election”, dated June 30, July 19 and August 5, 2026.

The application also refers to Forms EC9(A), EC9(B), EC9(C), EC9(D) and EC9(E).

Applicant Challenges Actions of National Chairman and Organising Secretary

Ajaja further asked the court to declare that Mgbudem and Kenechukwu could not lawfully and validly sign and submit the documents jointly in their respective capacities as National Chairman and National Organising Secretary.

Her argument relies on Sections 29(1) and 29(2), as well as Sections 82(1) and 82(6) of the Electoral Act 2026. She also cited several provisions of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2026.

According to the reliefs contained in the suit, the applicant maintains that the submissions allegedly made by the two officials did not comply with the relevant legal and party requirements.

The court is being asked to determine whether the disputed submissions were valid and whether the actions attributed to the officials violated the applicable provisions.

Ajaja Seeks Nullification of Accord Party’s Candidate Documents

Among the reliefs sought, Ajaja requested an order of perpetual injunction setting aside and nullifying the disputed letters and candidate forms jointly signed by Mgbudem and Kenechukwu.

She argued that the documents were submitted in violation of the cited provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines and should therefore be declared invalid, null and void.

The suit could have implications for Accord Party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections if the court grants the requested reliefs. However, the filing of a suit does not automatically invalidate the party’s candidate submissions or disqualify its candidates.

The court’s eventual decision will determine the legal effect of the disputed documents and any consequences for the party’s participation in the elections.